1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a paper sheet feeding apparatus which is attached to an image forming apparatus such as an electronic copying machine.
2. Description of the Related Art
An electronic copying machine has a photosensitive drum, on which an electrostatic latent image of an original is formed. The electrostatic latent image is developed by toner supplied from a developing apparatus. The developed image is transferred to a paper sheet by the function of a transferring charger.
The paper sheet is supplied from, for example, a sheet feeding apparatus mounted on a stage as disclosed in Published Unexamined Japanese Patent Application (PUJPA) No. 2-221970.
Electronic copying machines vary in image forming speed depending on the type. Therefore, it is necessary to change the speed of transferring paper sheets in a sheet feeding apparatus in accordance with the image forming. However, since the conventional sheet feeding apparatus feeds sheets at a constant speed, if the image forming apparatus of a copying speed is changed to another apparatus of a different copying speed, the sheet feeding apparatus cannot supply sheets to the image forming apparatus.
Therefore, according to the conventional art, it is necessary to prepare paper sheet feeding apparatuses of a number which coincide with the number of types of the image forming apparatuses, resulting in a high cost.
If the driving mechanism of the paper sheet feeding apparatus is changed in accordance with the copying speed of the image forming apparatus, paper sheets can be fed to the image forming apparatus using a reduced number of paper sheet feeding apparatuses. However, in this case, much trouble and time are required to set up the driving mechanism.